Beyond any words
Gorilla Trekking, The Masai Mara + Lewa Conservancy
Sheri and I agree this trip was beyond any words we have to describe it. We both felt it was one of the most significant experiences of our lives.
We are grateful to Kili and the Next Adventure team for so expertly designing it and to all of the people who supported us in Uganda and Kenya for so graciously sharing their countries with us. And of course, the experiences with the natural wildlife were absolutely incredible.
Photos and Testimonial by Mary Beth D. - Repeat Next Adventure Client
What are some of the most striking things you remember from your safari?
Seeing the gorillas was absolutely amazing. My personal highlight was when a baby gorilla ran up and grabbed my pants. The guides calmly had me back up and they told it that it had to let me go. The cutie let go pouted on the side of the trail, shown below. I was so overwhelmed when I first saw them, I could hardly remember how to use my camera and I was randomly clicking. The entire experience was incredible.
The people and accommodations at Mahogany Springs were fabulous and the location is beautiful. They took such incredible care of us, with early coffee, late lunches and even a birthday song for me. We had an issue with bugs in our room, which they quickly responded to and put us in a different room. The second day we trekked for 5 hours and went through quite a bit of mud, and the person that cleaned our shoes returned them looking like new.
The Mara and Tangulia were also terrific. We loved being in the tented room and hearing and feeling nature all around us (except for the bushbabies scaring us in the middle of the night, they sounded HUGE). Dominique and the rest of the staff were very welcoming and somehow Dominique managed to locate my phone and have it brought to me after I left in the small airport where we had to clear immigration before arriving at the Mara. The animals were all incredible but one of my favorite experiences was during a sundowner on the Mara River, watching a baby hippo play in the water and run around like a puppy. The best part of this leg was having Lucy as our guide. We felt so lucky to have a female Maasai guide and by the time we left, we felt like we were leaving a friend. Being at a fully Maasai owned camp felt great as well.
And I can't leave out Lewa House. Caleb and Sophie were delightful hosts, full of stories and excellent information. They treated Sheri and I to our own rooms, even though we paid for a single. The rhino's were superb there and I even got to see a Cheetah, which we had not seen in the Mara. Our guide, Joseph, told us that cheetah's hadn't been there in many years, and yet, we found one. The food was incredible there. Several of us told Sophie that we would buy a cookbook from her and encouraged her to put one together.
What was it like to plan your safari with Next Adventure?
I had a pretty good idea that this would exceed my expectations based on my previous experience planning a safari with Next Adventure years ago with the boys. I have to say, it blew my expectations away. Kili and her team plan trips through lodges and camps where I can see the benefit to the local communities and that are locally owned, and that is very important to me. These trips are expensive, but knowing that it is helping out so many as well as preserving these beautiful places makes me feel good about spending the money.
How would you describe to a friend what it's like to be on a safari?
This is a really hard one. I have been talking with my friends about the trip, but I don't have the words to convey the experience. Africa is in my blood, so I am not even certain everyone would love it quite like I do.
